Texas Rangers Blog

And on Labor Day, Jurickson Profar sits

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Hitting a homer in his first major league at-bat and becoming only the third teenager in history to debut with a pair of extra base hits did not merit a second consecutive start for Rangers rookie INF Jurickson Profar.

2B Ian Kinsler, who Profar replaced on Sunday, had no further problems with back stiffness and was back in the lineup Monday. Profar went back to the bench, despite a .500 career batting average.

“I guess we’ve got a hell of a team,” manager Ron Washington joked. “Kinsler is ready to go. You will see [Profar] play again. I want to see everything he has to offer. But I’m not going to force myself to create opportunities. The game will dictate those.”

One area where Profar might get some of those opportunities: As a pinch-hitter. Washington has craved a switch-hitting bench option for his playoff roster and Profar is a switch-hitter who was better against left-handers this season (.328) than against right-handers (.264). The Rangers have not had an at-bat by a switch-hitting pinch hitter in the postseason over the last two years and are 2-for-21 overall. Ranger pinch hitters are 2-for-9 vs. left-handers and 0-for-12 vs. right-handers.

Profar’s statistical profile might make it more dicey for opponents to bring in a left-handed pitcher to face OF David Murphy or 1B Mitch Moreland late in games knowing that the Rangers would be able to use Profar to pinch hit. Washington said he would not hesitate to use Profar to pinch hit in the “right situation,” for a lefty. He noted that side-arm lefties or lefties with unorthodox deliveries might be particularly challenging for left-handed hitters.

“The only thing is how does he react to sitting around,” Washington asked rhetorically. “He’s 19. He’s used to playing.”